Pyke Koch

[Netherlands] (b 1901/d 1991)

" (..) Pyke Koch and the painter Carel Willink are considered to be the foremost representatives in the Netherlands of Magic Realism, a style of painting in which the scenes depicted seem realistic yet uncanny or unlikely. (..) he  was born in Beek but he moved to Utrecht to study law at the University..In the 1920s he met Charley Toorop who was already a famous painter. He probably became interested in painting through their friendship. (..) In the summer of 1927 Koch made his first painting , and it made a strong  impression on the painter Cor Postma who arranged for Koch to be part of several exhibitions in the following years.. (..) Strangely, from the very start his paintings were admired for their technical perfection, even though he had had no formal training (..) and  Koch was fond of his image as a self taught painter.. He did follow classes at the Art Historical Institute of the University Utrecht where he studied the theories of art and even theories about art practices (the historical use of materials and such) but he never seems to have had lessons in drawing or painting. (..) During the 1930s his work became very popular. It was often called Magic Realism, a term he quite liked. (..) In those years Koch painted many masterpieces that were widely admired in exhibitions. He was also active as a designer for graphic work. He designed postage stamps and for instance, the Utrecht street lights...(..) Early in the 1980s Koch was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. "

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Biography

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Netherlands 1936 "300th Anniversary of the Utrecht University" (2,2,2) [Photo] Sc(204,205) [ image credit of Stampworld ]

Netherlands 1937 "Boy Scout Jamboree" (3,3,3) [Photo] Sc(206,..,208)

Netherlands 1937 "Child Welfare" (5,1) [after painting of Frans Hats][lettering (J. Van Krimpen)][Photo] Sc(B98,...,B102)

Netherlands 1938 "40th Anniversary of the Coronation" (3,1) [Photo] Sc(209,..,211) [ similar designs exist for Dutch colonies and Territories.. ]

Netherlands 1943 "Germanic Symbols" (7,7,7) [Photo] Sc(245,...,251) [ image credit of Postbeeld ]

Netherlands Antilles 1957 "50th Anniversary of the Boy Scout Movement" (3,1) [Photo] Sc(B28,...,B30)

Johan Theodor Bjornstrom

[Finland] (b 1890/d 1959)

"Björnström was born May 21, 1890, in Jorois, district Mikkeli in Finland. His parents soon moved to Viipuri, where his father worked as a blacksmith in the local railway depot. Young Johan started his artistic studies in Viipuri's school of Drawing "Friend of Art". He won a scholarship and studied from 1913 - 1914 in the Munich Academy of Art in Germany and later in "The Athenaeum" - Academy of Art in Helsinki. In 1927 Björnström became a advertising manager for the Finnish Co-op Consumers Association and worked with them until his retirement in 1957. He died in Helsinki on June 10, 1959. Björnström was known and recognized mainly as graphic and applied artist, but he also had a reputation as a painter. He exhibited in Viipuri 1909 and in Helsinki 1916. His most preferred motifs of landscapes were from Koli and Pielisjärvi of Hämeemas district. "

Biography and Photo  / "The Estonian Philatelist"

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Estonia 1922/1925 "Weaver and Blacksmith" (11,2,2) [Typo] Sc(65,...,75)

Karel P.C. De Bazel

[Netherlands] (b 1869/d 1923)

"Karel Petrus Cornelis de Bazel was a Dutch architect, engraver, illustrator, designer of furniture, carpet designer, glass artist and book designer .. (..) De Bazel began his career as an apprentice of a carpenter. After his evening architecture course at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, he was in 1888 appointed as a draftsman at a Hague architects. In 1889, he was designated draftsman in the office of PJH Cuypers in Amsterdam..(..) In 1895 ,together with Johannes Lauweriks , he formed his own firm and  at the same time he gave lessons of drawing and Art history..In 1904 de Bazel  founded  the famous Amsterdam furniture atelier De Ploeg..Later, he was, along with Hendrik Berlage, foreman of a construction style that would be typical for the time and after WWI: the Rationalism . In 1921 he was commissioned by the Bussum municipality  to design a new residential area that was officially designated by the Government as a protected Zone.."

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Biography

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Biography and Photo

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Netherlands 1913 "Centenary of Independence" (12,4,4) [Engr (J.J.Aarts)][Recess] Sc(90,...,101) [ image credit of StampWorld ]

Frank Davies Manley [ 1st Part (Australia 1931/1940) ]

[Great Britain][Australia] (b 1894/d 1976)

" Born into a London working class family in 1894, Frank Davies Manley was educated at local schools. His innate ability to accurately render an evocative image with a few well placed lines was evident as a teenager. Encouraged by his headmaster, he was accepted in 1909 at the prestigious De La Rue and Company to undertake a seven year apprenticeship as an engraver. He attended London’s Central School of Art & Crafts and Bolt Court School of Engraving & Lithography, later both to become part of London University of the Arts, for formal tuition as an adjunct to the apprenticeship. WWI intervened and the period of indenture was never completed. After working in the publishing industry, Manley was recruited in 1928 by the nascent Commonwealth Bank Note Printing Branch in Melbourne and there his fine engraving ability proven, his role grew to include design. "

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Australia 1931 "Kingsford Smith's Flights" (3,1) [Engr (F.D. Manley)][Recess (John Ash)] Sc(111,112,CO1) 

Australia 1932 "Lyrebird" (1) [Engr (F.D. Manley)][Recess (John Ash)] Sc(141)

Australia 1932 "Laughing Kookaburra" (1) [Engr (F.D. Manley)][Recess (John Ash)] Sc(139)

Australia 1934 "Centenary of Victoria" (3,1) [Engr (F.D. Manley)][Recess (John Ash)] Sc(142,...,144)

Australia 1934 "Death Centenary of Cat. John Macarthur (Founder of Australian Sheep Farming)" (3,1) [Engr (F.D. Manley)][Recess (John Ash)] Sc(147,...,149)

Australia 1934 "Hermes" (Engr (E. Broad)(F.D. Manley)][Recess (John Ash)] Sc(C4)

Australia 1935 "20th Anniversary of  Gallipoli Landing" (2,1) [Engr (F.D. Manley)][Recess (John Ash)] Sc(150,151) [ the original design was work of B. Cottier, but it was adapted by F.D. Manley]

Australia 1935 "Silver Jubilee of King George V" (3,1) [Engr (F.D. Manley)][Recess (John Ash)] Sc(152,...,154)

Australia 1936 "Opening of Submarine Telephone link to Tasmania" (2,1) [Engr (F.D. Manley)][Recess (John Ash)] Sc(157,158)

Australia 1936 "Centenary of South Australia" (3,1) [Engr (F.D. Manley)][Recess (John Ash)] Sc(159,...,161)

Australia 1937/1949 "Various Designs" (14,11,8) [Engr (F.D. Manley)(F.D.Manley & T.C. Duffell Sc(173))][Recess]  Sc(166,170,171,172,173,174,175,176,179) [ some other designs of F.D. Manley issued in 1932 and 1934 are also used in this series ] [ The £1 stamp is a joint design effort of F.D. Manley and H. Barr ]

Australia 1937 "150th Anniversary of the Foundation of New South Wales" (3,1) [Des (E. Broad)][Engr (E. Broad)(F.D. Manley)][Recess (John Ash)] Sc(163,...165)

Australia 1940 "Australian Imperial Forces" (4,1) [Engr (F.D. Manley)][Recess (W.C.G. McCracken)] Sc(184,...,187) [ from drawings by Virgil Reilly ]